Hexoatl
:“Upon the southern horizon of Hexoatl, on the eve of the equinox, stellar pyramids will rise above the jungle canopy.” ::—Description of the Stellar Pyramids of the Southern Skies. Hexoatl, the City of the Sun, is the northernmost temple-city, located on the Isthmus of Pahuax. It's Lustria’s first line of defence against Northern invaders. The Grey Guardians, a sentient mountain range created by Lord Mazdamundi can be found two hundred miles north of Hexoatl. Raised to block the Dark Elf armies that threaten to overwhelm the city, the mountains proved so effective that the Mage-Priest made the enchantment permanent. Throughout its history, the Isthmus of Pahuax has been a frequent landfall for warmbloods who survive the journey across the Great Ocean. All of the intruders’ settlements have been abolished, save only for Skeggi, whose occupants have, on the whole, proven wise enough to avoid conflict with Mazdamundi’s armies. Hexoatl is understandably the most martial of temple-cities. It is encircled not just by jungle but also high walls, upon which stand many towers. Serried ranks of Saurus and Temple Guard march down its wide avenues, and Skink patrols, reinforced by whole herds of Stegadons, sweep the surrounding land for hundreds of miles around to ensure any threat is stopped before it can reach Hexoatl. History :“Within the Blessed Incubator, the beasts of Hexoatl are kept, ready for the Old One Itzl to leave his mark.” ::—Description of the Blessed Incubator. As ever, Hexoalt stood as the gateway to Lustria for those invasions coming from the North. For thousands of years, it stood defiant despite the loss of several of her neighboring cities, but one particular invasion was unlike anything seen since the time of the First Daemonic Invasion. No sooner had several lost plaques been delivered to Hexoatl that other disturbances reverberated across the geomantic web. The Mage-Priests could not distinguish a source, and those Slann not engaged in studying the newly found plaques sought out that which was increasingly putting pressure on the arcane sentinels that helped keep the power of Chaos at bay. There was no single answer, for at dozens of points across the globe, the sea-faring human tribes of the northlands sought out ancient waystones. Some sites, like the Golden Ziggurat, were left deserted in the wild places of the world, while others were defended by various creatures or races; in many cases, Elves, attracted by the unseen power, had established colonies atop the older ruins, unintentionally serving as guards over the distant nodes. With fire and slaughter, the Northmen stormed these garrisons, and cast down the standing stones, rededicating them to their own Dark Gods. The effect on the geomantic web was felt keenly, as each lost site weakened the whole. It was clear to the Slann that Chaos was ascendant, and they predicted that the attacks on the nexus points could only be followed by a direct assault upon Lustria itself. Yet Lustria is vast, and where the foe might strike was hidden from their foresight. The mind-miasma that had affected the Mage-Priests since the Great Catastrophe was intensifying, and each Slann felt his orderly and tranquil thoughts pulled in all directions. With the depletion of so many sacred sites, for a time all balance was lost and the Mage-Priests were blind to what was about to occur. From the jungles north of Hexoatl came a vast army, a force composed of thousands of mortal servants of Chaos. A mercenary throng of Dark Elves from Naggaroth led them, acting as scouts for the hordes from the north. At the head of the force, atop a smoke-belching Dragon the shade of midnight, rode a being of purest evil - Vashnaar the Tormentor, an anointed Champion of the Dark Gods. Siege of Hexoatl (2521 IC) With the sentinel stones not functioning, the Chaos armies marched undetected into Lustria. It was Hexoatl’s Master of Skies, a Skink Chief named Tiktaq'to, who first sighted the invaders. Atop his Terradon, he swiftly sent word to Hexoatl but, to his dismay, Lord Mazdamundi was absent; secreted atop a jungle ruin contemplating the recently discovered plaques. All of the other Mage-Priests were in trances and would not awake for days. Assuming command of the army of Hexoatl, Tiktaq'to set to the city’s defence before leading a series of hit and run attacks to slow the foe down. For three days and nights, Tiktaq'to and his aerial army of Terradon Riders harried the approaching advance. They struck from above, launched counter-attacks and dropped boulders to crash into marching columns. On the fourth day, with his enemy seething with rage and seeking an opportunity to swat the irritating nuisance, Tiktaq'to lured many tribes of barbarian horsemen and Naggarothi cavalry into the Bloodleech Swamp, where they were cut down by ambush. Despite the losses, the Chaos forces advanced to dominate all approaches to Hexoatl. As the two great forces began to clash in earnest, several of the younger Slann awoke and terrible blasts of sorcerous power rent the skies asunder. In the midst of the sprawling carnage, Vashnaar dealt death. Backed by the Chaos Gods, none could stand before him. Although the Saurus fought with cold-blooded discipline, they were driven backwards until the Chaos host was at the gates of the temple-city, and the siege of Hexoatl began. While Chaos Sorcerers and Slann lit the air with mystic duels, Vashnaar the Tormentor ordered up batteries of war machines the like of which had never been seen in Lustria. All gears, cogs and vast rune-etched barrels, they were siege engines twisted to contain the tortured souls of Daemons. Their fire was fury made manifest, and they rained blazing hellshot to smash apart the stone blocks of Hexoatl’s walls, creating gaping holes. Into those breaches, Vashnaar ordered his heavily armoured warriors, the elite killers of his army. In their vanguard raced mutated behemoths, muscle-bound monsters made of teeth and rage. Time and again, the defenders of Hexoatl repulsed the Chaos attacks at the walls. From the jungles came aerial assaults led by Tiktaq'to, and the wings of his airborne assaults blotted out the sun. Many of the foes’ war machines were smashed, but after two cycles of the moon had passed, the battle was still ongoing, and it could only be a matter of time before the forces of Chaos entered the city. However, on the sixty-third day of the siege, everything changed. As the sun rose over the margin of the world, a saurian roar came from the mist-wreathed jungle. The forces of Chaos stood dumbfounded as they sought the source of this bellow, and the earth began to shake under a heavy tread. The jungle itself erupted; Grymloq, a mighty Carnosaur, led the surge. Kroq-Gar, the great Saurus war-leader on its back, and behind him, an army of Cold One cavalry. To meet this new threat, Vashnaar the Tormentor mounted his Dragon and charged. Yet Kroq-Gar’s army was not alone. Gathering the might of Lustria about him, in an army whose power had not been seen since the Great Catastrophe, came Lord Mazdamundi. He rode upon a Stegadon so large that the jungle parted in its wake. The ancient judgement of the Old Ones burned in the Slann’s eyes, and at his command, the earth was rent, a gap that swallowed half of the Chaos host before the true battle began. And what a battle it was - Kroq-Gar and Vashnaar were locked in combat, each the equal of the other. Reptilian titans of an elder age clashed with the monstrosities of the north. With a blaring of war horns, the gates of Hexoatl were flung open and the defenders sallied forth to join the fray. Steel-clad barbarians crashed into the scaled Saurus warriors and the carnage was total. By dusk, Lord Mazdamundi and Kroq-Gar stood upon the battlefield and surveyed their victory. The jungle was flattened in a twenty-mile radius and the dead lay in mountainous piles. Vashnaar’s severed head hung from Kroq-Gar’s saddle and the hooves of Mazdamundi’s Stegadon were crimson with the blood. The forces of Chaos had been defeated and Hexoatl was saved. Sources * Warhammer Armies: Lizardmen (8th Edition) ** : pg. 19 - 20 ** : pg. 22 ** : pg. 23 * : Total War: WARHAMMER II ** : Stellar Pyramids of the Southern Skies ** : Blessed Incubator es:Hexoatl Category:Hexoatl Category:Temple-cities Category:H